Homeschooling

September 10, 2012

I'm not sure how it goes at regular high school these days, but here at home the first day started with Guns & Roses (re-working the lyrics a bit), and a little dance party. We are so happy to be back in the swing of things, happy to have a new "teacher" in the house, and oh so happy for oodles of new school supplies (okay, that would be me). I do love school supplies.

I'm putting together a post all about the materials and curriculum we are using this year, hopefully I can share that sometime this week or early next week. Also, this photo reminds me - I haven't taken proper photos of a pretty major room swap that happened here recently. I'd love to share more of that, soon.

Today, just a quick hello and a nod to the start of our school year. It is beautifully crisp and sunny outside today, we all have sweaters on, and two of us are wearing a scarf. Fall is in the air. Ah, yes... now is the time to start a new school year.

November 04, 2011

She's been saving. Now we have a ukulele in the house... and she's following ukulele loving people on twitter. Who knew there was such a culture? This morning she came down the stairs strumming a tune. I think the soft and warm Hawaiian sounds will be even more beautiful come February.

September 15, 2011

It's almost the end of our first week of school, all is mostly well so far. It's been a funny start to the year - not much in place organization-wise but we gathered the texts from our springtime curriculum shopping and just sat down and got started.

It turns out that it actually can work that way! Imagine, just opening a book and starting to read without any pre-reading or lessons planned. Amazing... the world still turns.

We've had one wrench in the works this week. Some of you may remember the struggles I shared last Spring with regards to "doing it all" - meaning I homeschool my daughter and I work from home. Add to that the element of homeschooling an only child (something I don't usually discuss specifically, but it has its very unique considerations), and I find it a constant challenge to make it all happen. I suppose it's good to stay on my toes!

I love homeschooling. I love my work (and we need my work). Because my work is home based, it makes sense that I'm the parent that does both. It's one of those things that should work in theory, but in reality it's exhausting. Partly because a lot of what I do is creative and requires me to be one of those slightly crazed artist types who spends too much time in their head, working through the process.

This year we decided to arrange Adam's schedule so he would work from home one day a week. On that day I would leave the house to work elsewhere. Well, day one of trying this much needed routine, he was called out two separate times to emergency meetings/appointments. Sad mama.

A few of the over twenty texts I get to devour over the next two years.

My sense is the biggest challenge of homeschooling this year will be to balance the work/school piece (this tune sounds familiar...). Speaking of school, I'm back in school too! I know, it makes no sense - or maybe it makes perfect sense! (Let's go with the latter.)

This program is more rigorous than the last that I did, though the two seem to compliment each other beautifully so I'm very happy to be pursuing this. I do find it pretty doable to study right along Emily as she studies, it's my 'work' that seems to require a lot more introspection and, um... solitude, at times.

Each day this year I'd like to make it a point to share with Emily an article, short video, or perhaps a website from the news and/or art scene.

Something that takes only about 10 minutes to view/read, but is the sort of thing that might inspire bigger projects, or reveal unknown interests and passions.

Given that the news is mostly upsetting and sensationalized, this makes for selecting relevant pieces a tough job. I'm on the lookout for global and local information (hint hint, please recommend!), that reports real issues but with an emphasis on the 'silver lining'.

Isn't it best to be lifted up and inspired to action rather than feeling knocked down and hopeless?

A resource we use regularly is The New York Times Learning Network. In addition, I've actually found Facebook to be a great place for this sort of content (imagine that). My Facebook friends have really interesting things to share!

September 13, 2011

Today marks the final day of the current 30 Day Vegan session. Feels very bittersweet.

It was such a wild month! New course elements (video cooking classes!), awesome guest contributor (Renee is amazing!), and a lovely mid-month wrench in the works named Irene (not so amazing!). To say this month ebbed and flowed is an understatement. Thankfully, it mostly flowed... quite gracefully at times too.

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Yesterday we started our new homeschool year and in the spirit of all things September, I thought I'd replay the homeschool series I wrote up last year at this time:

It's interesting to look back on these posts. Our start to this school year is looking very different (I'll be writing about that at Simple Homeschool later in the week), but still fresh and new all the same. With a tweaked approach and a growing child teen, our homeschool is ever-evolving, as it should.

I'm looking forward to giving proper attention to my blog again. Thank you for continuing to be here even (perhaps especially) when my attention is partially elsewhere... xo